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Welding Table

01-09-2013, 10:26 PM

I picked up a piece a 28"x96"x1/2" plate last week with the intent to build a welding table. I don't have a ton of space so it should give a big enough surface to work on. I also plan to put it on wheels to pull it out into the open to "hang" projects off both sides.

I have a couple design questions for you guys. My local airgas has a arcstation on display. I was checking it out and I liked the slots that were in the table. They coule be used to clamp down to or to plasma cut straight cuts through. I am going to integrate sometime similar. I want my final table length to be about 4.5-5' long. I was thinking of putting a similar type slot every 12" or 18" to allow clamping in plenty of locations.

1/2" plate is ok for a welding table; you can beat on it and it will stay flat as long as the hammer is not a sledge. Be sure your plate is true and flat before you start. Your biggest problem is going to be attaching the plate to the frame you fabricate. You will find that the heat of welding the underside can translate into a hump in the middle of your table.

I bought my 4'x8'x1/2" table from a fab shop going out of business. The top was stitch welded to the frame. It had a considerable "hump" that took me some time and effort to remedy. I think they put the table top plate on the floor and built the undercarriage by welding the frame onto it piece by piece and then turned it upright. That way the frame was just as warped as the plate by the time it was finished. My advice is to build your frame first and ensure it is flat, then attach the top in a way that doesn't cause heat warpage. Good luck.

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I figured it was a good compromise. Steel gets spendy when you get to the thick stuff. I would love a 3/4" or 1" table, but holy cow!

So, if stitch welding put too much heat into the table surface, what would be better? I would like to keep my material flat. Have you tried to flatten your table with a flame? I've heard about that being successful. I was originally going to stitch the top to the frame I built, but now I am reconsidering that idea. i was going to burn everything together with my mm251 mig welder. Is the HAZ really enough to cause a rise in the 1/2" plate?

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Perhaps spot welds over a period of time, allowing cooling between welds, moving around a lot, would keep your 1/2" top from distorting.

I straightened my top by using my plasma cutter to cut all the welds at the ends of the table, leaving only those in the very center. Then, using bottle jacks braced against the end of the framework below, I simultaneously raised the ends of the plate beyond a flat orientation, overcoming the heat-induced bend. When I released the jacks the top came down to an essentially flat surface. After using shims between the plate and the frame to prevent pull down, I tacked it in a few places. It's close but not perfect; ok for my purposes.

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Made a little progress today on the table. The square is 2x2x.120 and the angle is 1.5x1.5x.125. Going to put some expanded steel for the bottom tomorrow. I have some snow removal work lined up so I might not make it as far as I hoped tomorrow. We will see...

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I am planning on an overhang. I was actually going with 3". I made a little more progress today. Got the expanded metal floor cut and welded in. I also cut the 2 pieces for my table top. Just finishing the cleaning of the edges and going to use a wire wheel to get rid of the surface rust. I quit early tonight because it was 10*F in the shop and I am not in a big rush for this project. Also, apparently I only had a nearly used up grinding wheel left. Going to run into town tomorrow and pick up some more.